NorthPoint Astrology Journal  Your guide to planetary energies for April 4 to 10, 2016 By Pam Younghans

NorthPoint Astrology Journal 
Your guide to planetary energies for April 4 to 10, 2016
By Pam Younghans


Highlighted Aspects This Week
MON: Sun quincunx Jupiter
TUE: Sun trine Saturn, Venus enters Aries, Mercury sesquiquadrate Jupiter, Mercury enters Taurus
WED: Mercury sesquiquadrate Saturn, Sun square Pluto
THU: New Moon 4:23am PDT (11:23am GMT)
SAT: Sun conjunct Uranus
SUN: Mercury semisquare Chiron, Mercury inconjunct Mars


TAKING A DEEP BREATH, we plunge into the first full week of April and surrender ourselves to the changes that are underway.


This week we are reminded of the potent influence of the Uranus-Pluto square, that transformational planetary aspect that began working with us in late 2011 and early 2012. Although the final exact aspect is now behind us, periodically we once again tap into the remnants of it powerful energies.
That is what is happening this week, as the Aries Sun first squares Pluto on Wednesday and then aligns with Uranus on Saturday. Acting as a catalyst in between is the New Moon on Thursday morning (4:23am PDT, 11:23am GMT), at which time both the Sun and Moon are aligned with Uranus and square (90 degrees away from) Pluto.


WHENEVER PLUTO is involved in a "hard" aspect such as a square, we usually become aware of something that is outside of our control. It's an overwhelming realization for most of us humans, one that we often try to fight against.


Pluto is not asking us to capitulate, but it does require that we become stronger than the obstacles we are facing. When we successfully embrace Pluto's lessons, we find a new level of empowerment. We not only survive the challenge, but thrive in the aftermath buoyed by the newfound awareness of an inner strength we hadn't known we possessed.


German philosopher Friedrich Nietzsche, who originally penned the words "That which does not kill us makes us stronger," must have been going through a Pluto transit at the time. Perhaps pop singer Kelly Clarkson also taps into her memories of a Pluto transit when she belts out her powerful rendition of the song "Stronger."


THE UNPREDICTABLE ENERGIES of the planet Uranus are activated this week as well, both through its involvement with the New Moon and through the Sun-Uranus alignment on Saturday. Like Pluto, Uranus stirs things up -- but whereas Pluto usually takes us on a compelling and sometimes lengthy journey through the depths of our psyches, Uranus likes to get things done quickly.


For Uranus, the purpose of change is liberation. Uranus provides the energy to free us from the past and from situations that are stagnant and no longer life-enhancing. This all sounds perfectly reasonable -- who doesn't want to be liberated from places where we've been feeling stuck? But many of us humans resist Uranus transits because of the uncertainty and instability change always involves.


THE SABIAN SYMBOL for the degree of Thursday's New Moon provides an interesting perspective on this week's potentials:


"The 'magic carpet' of oriental imagery: The use of creative imagination."


In his interpretation of this symbol, astrologer Dane Rudhyar explains that it "involves the possibility of developing a new technique of perception, a strife-transcending and unattached outlook upon everyday reality."


It of course makes sense that when dealing with change, the less we are attached to what once was, the more open we are to the magic of what can be. And the "possibility of developing a new technique of perception" corresponds with the potentials always inherent in strong aspects such as we're working with this week -- especially those involving Uranus, the planet that represents and invokes higher consciousness.


SATURN HELPS us out this week, providing much-needed stability through harmonious trine aspects -- first with the Sun on Tuesday, and then with both the Sun and the Moon at the time of the lunation on Thursday. We usually view Saturn with some suspicion, given that it often brings us hard lessons that require discipline and maturity. However, in "easy" aspects such as a trine, Saturn can be a great support, providing grounding and slowing down the process of change so that we can adapt to it more comfortably.


Still, it looks like we'll need to watch our thoughts this week, to make sure we don't stray off course with too much worrying and overthinking. Be especially mindful on those days when Mercury is making hard aspects to other planets -- on Tuesday (sesquiquadrate Jupiter), Wednesday (sesquiquadrate Saturn), and Sunday (semisquare Chiron and inconjunct Mars). Even though these are minor aspects, they still indicate days when our minds can run us, rather than us being in charge of our minds.


In peace,


Pam


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